Private Project

The Wrestler

An eccentric fisherman wants to beat the current local wrestling champion. Set in the late 1990s in a remote coastal village in Bangladesh, this story weaves together local myths about dervishes (Sufis), mahi sawars (fish riders), and mysterious creatures believed to be angels in disguise.

  • Iqbal H Chowdhury
    Director
    Rowai (Short), Dhaka 2.00 (Short), Dant (Short)
  • Iqbal H Chowdhury
    Writer
    Rowai (Short), Dant (Short)
  • Piplu R Khan
    Producer
  • Nasir Uddin Khan
    Key Cast
    "Moju"
    Na Dorai
  • AKM Itmam
    Key Cast
    "Dofor"
    Debut film
  • Angel Noor
    Key Cast
    "Shafu"
    Debut film
  • Priyam Archi
    Key Cast
    No Ground Under The Feet (Busan International Film Festival)
  • Tahadil Ahmed
    Key Cast
    "Milon"
  • Tuhin Tamijul
    Director of Photography
    Rehana Maryam Noor (2021)
  • Jharol Mendoza
    Editor
    Atardecer sin sol (Documentary short) 2019Mane (Short)
  • Nahid Masud
    Location Sound
    The Salt in Our Waters (2022)
  • Rakat Zami
    Sound Designer
    Pett Kata Shaw (2022)
  • Dante Winkler
    Re Recording Mixer
    Tick, Tick Bang (2018), Blue Collar Boys (2014)
  • Carroll Chiramel
    Colorist
    Dance Together (2019), Meet the Parents (2016) , Transitions (2016)
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Boli
  • Project Type:
    Feature
  • Genres:
    Drama, Mystery, Sports, Periodical
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 32 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    October 1, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    100,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Bangladesh
  • Country of Filming:
    Bangladesh
  • Language:
    Bengali
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • New Currents Award
    Busan
    Korea, Republic of
    October 7, 2023
    World premiere
    New Currents Award (Busan International Film Festival)
  • Shanghai
    China
    June 16, 2024
    China Premiere
    International Panaroma
Director Biography - Iqbal H Chowdhury

Iqbal H Chowdhury is a Toronto-based Bangladeshi writer-director. His debut feature film project 'Boli' (The wrestler) won the top award ( New Currents Award) of Busan International Film Festival 2023.

Iqbal holds a postgraduate degree in film production from Centennial College, Toronto. He has written, directed, and produced three short films: Teeth (2016), Dhaka 2.00 (2017), and Rowai (2018).

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Boli (The wrestler) is an enigmatic tale set in the late 90’s in a remote coastal village of Bangladesh. I was born in this coastal land and endured the disastrous cyclone of 1991.
To me, the Bay of Bengal is always a mixed symbol of mystery, lust, and fear. One of the most significant elements of this movie is the mystic nature of the coastal area. Unlike popular wrestling, ‘Boli Khela’ is quite slow paced and more about technique and patience.
Boli (The Wrestler) blends mysticism with popular discourses. This story has various underlying resemblances with local myths of dervishes (Sufis) , mahi sawars (riders of fish) and mysterious creatures who are believed to be angels in disguise.